Element
by sexypancake
Summary: [ZukoSokka, OOC, AU] Animals act their most natural when alone in their element. Zuko just happens to accidently stumble upon Sokka in his.


**Dis: I don't own Avatar.**

**Warning: Zuko/Sokka slash, major OOC, AU, cursing, angst, scary thoughts…?**

**Authoress: Sexy Pancake all hail!**

**Element**

It was...strange…

…to see him like this.

Thoughts filled his head. Many…unwelcome. Through the filtering cover of leaves and foliage, a small clearing laid with several shallow pools was seen. Dark yellow eyes, overcast by shadows, narrowed in wait as the subject of his observation calmly sat in one of the nearer pools. It was a puddle really, it was so shallow.

Kneeling in the water, Sokka sat unmoving, unthinking, practically unbreathing. His legs were tucked under his body, his back arched forward oddly, and his arms tensed straight as they held his body from plunging face-first into he water.

His hair was unbound, loose, and longer than Zuko had thought. His wide blue eyes were staring unblinking at the water as he tried to make as little ripples as possible. Though he wasn't attempting to bathe, he was completely nude. His clothing, armor, jewelry and hair-tie all lay in a surprisingly neat bundle several feet away.

All was silent except for the sounds of the forest around him. To one side, the skittering of a ground fox running through the low brush, and to the other, the sounds of birds nesting high in the trees.

The other, completely unaware of Zuko's watching eyes, remained.

It was, without a doubt…strange…

Sokka's skin was completely and entirely tanned. Unlike his own pale alabaster skin, the water tribesman was dark and scarcely littered with small pink scars that could barely be seen against the natural tint.

The boy was thin, too, Zuko noticed.

Long arms raised from the water and caused a crashing of ripples before Sokka brought them to cradle himself from the slight cool. Not before Zuko took wary note of how the younger teen's thin chest sloped into lightly tones abdominals, however. The arms were thin, too.

Tight skin stretched across muscles that barely hinted malnourishment from traveling too long and too young. Though Sokka was sitting nearly a dozen feet away from him, Zuko could still clearly see the abnormal tenseness of his shoulders and neck.

Small rivets of clear water were traveling down his arms, onto his hips, then dropped back into the pool. This brought notice to the other's slightly jutting hipbones, the almost feminine curve of his hips and waist, and the way the outline of his spine could be traced down his back.

Closing his eyes bitterly, Zuko stood from his crouch and silently walked away.

O0O0O0O

It was one month later than Zuko and Iroh joined the Avatar.

O0O0O0O

He had changed…a lot.

This was the immediate and foremost thought that Sokka had when the two wanted firebenders first merged with their ever growing group.

Gone was the royal armor, the loyal crew, and the boisterous attitude…okay, scratch that. Zuko was still a jerk. Just…maybe less so. Still, it was quite amazing. It had to have taken some unheard of amount of pride for the cold prince to allow himself to join their quest, cause, and ideals.

Inside, though, just below the brimming surface, Sokka cold tell that Zuko was simmering, just waiting to explode.

And sometimes he did.

Being around a firebender who also happened to be a social retard was definitely something to behold. Sometimes, when the prince sat completely immobile, his fingers would unconsciously smoke as proof of the fire within that never went out. Other, more frightening times, Zuko would actually breathe out fire in his own irritation.

Aside from these instances, many of which Sokka tried to keep as great a distance as possible, he noticed that the prince had changed the most physically.

Sitting there, meditating and ignoring him completely, Zuko sat a man so completely different than who Sokka remembered.

It was hard to look at Zuko with hair. It brought about unwanted thoughts that Sokka still couldn't even understand. He looked a lot better with hair.

Regardless, Sokka wasn't stupid.

He knew what the notion meant. Cutting one's hair was a sign of dishonor and rebirth. Gone was the royal ponytail that spoke of status, upbringing, and nourishment. In its place simply remained a teen forced to be a man.

All that remained was a scar.

O0O0O0O

Taking into consideration all of the odd and bizarre encounters and occurrences that traveling with the Avatar included, Zuko decided with all the patience of a sage this just _had_ to be the oddest.

Apparently, pandas _loved_ Sokka.

Too bad the feeling wasn't entirely mutual.

They were currently residing in a neutral part of the Earth Nation. It was far from the Fire Nation's ever-watchiful gaze and quite safe and secluded as all things went. But this was simply too much.

Barely resisting the decidedly moronic act of smacking his face with a palm, Zuko instead tried to look like he _wasn't_ trying _too_ hard to not step on the annoyingly furry creatures. Because whether he chose to believe it or not, the pandas were there. They were _everywhere_.

He'd been the first to wake up that morning to discover that a herd had up and decided that where _they_ were sleeping would be the perfect place for _them_ to invade, and hence, sleep.

Approximately two hours later is where Zuko know stood, up to his knees in black and white furry ridiculousness.

That wasn't what was important, however. The matter at hand that seized all of Zuko's attention was the strange picture before him. Sokka was covered in pandas.

Not sure whether he had it in him to laugh, Zuko simply stared at the scene it made.

It was all quite confusing and likely the result of something the idiot had done in the past. Regardless, all Zuko knew all he could and _should_ do was watch.

The Avatar and two girls were off to the side, still enjoying the pleasant surprise that they'd woken up to. The cubs too were enjoying their fun, running around in a messy jumble of legs and fur and tongues.

His uncle was still lying down, opting to doze in the rare moment of peace, seeing as how there were far too many pandas around to safely practice fire bending.

Sokka, much to his dismay, begrudgingly accepted what he could only describe as a freak occurrence of nature. He didn't even bother trying to sit up or fight as the tubby little creatures crowded around him, sat on him, slept on him, and by all means, walked on him and stepped on his face.

Eventually, unaware of Zuko's gaze, Sokka let out a loud, heartfelt sigh at sat up. Bumbly tumbly bears scattered from the unexpected movement, then quickly returned to show their unending love for the tanned teen.

Staring at the pandas with a look that bluntly read 'wtf', Sokka gently reached into the bramble of black and white fur to pull out the smallest panda that Zuko had seen that day. A runt, obviously, and slightly different from the other animals in that this one was almost entirely white except for it's small black tail, ears, nose, and a peculiar black patch over its left eye.

Sokka cradled the delicate bear to his chest and stood. Pointedly ignoring the sudden roar of complaintive yips from his four-legged fan club, he carefully made his way over to Appa.

Zuko found no lack of amusement in the fact that Sokka had to start running halfway there.

But eventually the pandas grew bored, or whatever it was they did, and the herd decided to move on. It was funny to watch Sokka seek haven on top of Appa while a hundred fuzzy bodies vibrated around his legs, eager to give the teen their enthusiastic salutations.

Eventually, though, all of the pandas left except for the runt, which much to Zuko's chagrin, Sokka had appropriately named 'Zu-Zu.'

Sokka had changed positions and was now casually sitting back against the giant bison and carefully hand feeding Zu-Zu some dried fruit. Like many other times when Zuko caught himself watching the other, the prince felt an odd stirring inside his being. Sometimes, it was a faint feeling. Other times, it grasped him so tightly that he became hard of breath.

Then there were times like this when Zuko just knew that there was a thought lingering on the edge of his subconscious that could barely be put into words. Watching Sokka lightly bounce the chubby bear and feed him with that silly grin on his face and soft look in his eyes…

He almost missed when Katara spoke.

"If Sokka ever has a child and became a father, this is probably what he'd be like, huh?"

With startling clarity, Zuko had to agree.

O0O0O0O

Sokka loves Zuko's back.

The fire bender obviously felt no shame or embarrassment in his appearance, considering the amount of times that he trained half-naked…which was all the time. Not taking his scar into account, Zuko's body was something that Sokka had to admit was a work of art.

Fine, sculpted arms, just barely heavy with muscle so as to express strength and yet keep his speed. A strong neck and defined shoulders that flexed tightly with every movement of his arms and passing of flame. All of this connected into a defined, yet slim, back, pale as the moon regardless of the hours he spent under the sun.

And Sokka, for reasons he was resigned to acknowledge, loved it.

A light sheen of sweat graced Zuko's glowing skin, giving definition to the smooth angles and subtle curves of his back and arms.

Without thinking, Sokka licked his lips as he watch a single tear-like bead of sweat trail down the slope of pales shoulders and settle on the left dimple above Zuko's firm rear.

Well…when I guy has to train…

O0O0O0O

"Why is the sky…blue?" Zuko murmured beside Sokka's ear.

"Huh?" Bleary blue eyes regarded the uncharacteristically calm prince. "I dunno, to match your soul?"

His answer was met with a heavy golden stare that threatened to pierce right through him.

"Wrong, to match your eyes."

"Oh…" A giggle, then a soft touch of wet lips in the dark.

Shortly after, silence fell and the two fell asleep, foreheads gently pressed together as their breaths slowed with the night.

An empty bottle of wine lay near the opening of Zuko's tent.

O0O0O0O

For as long as he can remember, Zuko has always hated flowers.

They remind him of the past, things unpleasant, and things that he wished to forget.

Azula is like a flower. Fierce as she is, delicate as she is not, her beauty defines a rose.

Hi mother is like a flower. Kind as she is, gentle as she was, her passing defines a lily.

Sokka is not like a flower. Strong as he is, sad as is fate, he defines the thorn.

…the thorn in his side?

Zuko has always hated flowers. That's why when as he stands in a field of wildflowers, yellows, blues, and pinks, and reds, he feels nothing as the flames engulf and burn to ash.

He smiles, though, because all that's left are the thorns.

O0O0O0O

'He's probably sitting in a puddle again,' Zuko realized with a frown as he veered off the worn dirt trail he'd been following back to their camp. Lost in his own thoughts and the silence of the forest, hearing the loud splashing off to the side was quite easy, and almost slightly alarming. What if someone else heard? What if that buffoon gave off their position?

And so at a quick step, he expertly weaved through trees and brush until the sharp splashing and cursing were more prominent.

Stopping just short of entering the clearing, Zuko stood behind a thick tree and watched as Sokka sat alone in a clear shallow river. Just like so long ago.

Narrowing his eyes, Zuko noticed begrudging disappointment that Sokka wasn't entirely nude this time, but was instead clothed in his mere white undergarments. Still, once they'd gotten wet, they had become just short of transparent…not that Zuko was looking, or could really see from this distance… He scowled.

Sokka was standing, raising his arms above his head, to the side, then in a wide sweeping movement that Zuko realized he recognized. Sokka was moving through some of the same waterbending poses that he'd seen the woman do during her sessions with the Avatar.

Staring in mute astonishment, Zuko watched as the water around Sokka's ankles slowly rose like thick molasses up to his hands and above his head, circling around, slithering through the air like a serpent.

And then it plunged down, drenching him and aiding in his descent as he too allowed himself to collapse into the water, his face in his hands and his shoulders hunched.

A light shiver seemed to crawl down Sokka's back and the wrinkling water around him shifted and splashed at his sides.

Zuko stepped out from his hiding and was at the edge of the water in seconds. Fear that Sokka may have been hurt or passed out combined with horrible curiosity had him calf deep in the water, mere feet away from where Sokka was sitting.

He raised his head and stared at Zuko, not showing any shock at his sudden appearance or embarrassment at his current situation. And without preamble, began speaking.

"I can't bend."

Zuko started, but decided to play it safe. "Yes you can."

"No I _can't_."

"Why?" All was quiet. The calm before the storm.

"I'll _hurt_ people! _They'll die_!" And more violently this time, he snapped his eyes to the water which seemed to have a life of its own, crawling up his arms and back, embracing his as if in response to his panicky emotions.

And then Zuko's arms were around him, hauling him to his feet with his strong arms tight around Sokka's waist. The water dropped back into the river. The sudden shift in atmosphere, not surprisingly, exhausted Sokka. He tiredly laid his head on Zuko's left shoulder, soft, strong, and definitely warm.

Another shiver passed down his spine and the pale arms tightened, emitting a heat from his relaxed muscles and from steamy breath on his neck. This time, his shiver wasn't from the cold.

"What happened?" Zuko whispered. "Why are you like this?"

There was more silence, and then Sokka spoke as if broken.

"When I was small, maybe four or five, I drowned Katara."

Zuko jerked back in the embrace to look directly at Sokka's face, but he wasn't meeting his eyes. He was still speaking…

"Never again. Oh _god_ never again…" Tears were swelling blue eyes. "But I have to, we're in a war…" The last word was quiet as Sokka's arms gripped Zuko's, his stiff fingers leaving red lines as he dragged them back to rest on Zuko's chest.

"Kiss me," He whispered, tilting his head up and closing his eyes.

The air was tense for half a second. Then…

"You're _insane_," Zuko whispered back, and his lips sealed tightly over Sokka's.

The water around them was still.

O0O0O0O

The end.

So yah, any of you seriously confused? Sorry the ending was so abrupt. I coulda gone longer, but I really liked the idea of ending it there. And I guess this could be considered a bunch of drabbles put together, but it's NOT! mwahaha. yah.

So anyway, the title "Element" is supposed to relate to an animal acting its most natural in nature, ergo, in its 'element.' In this case, we have Sokka who, when alone, act SUPER OOC. yay

So…any questions can be asked in reviews. Obviously I've taken a lot of liberty in this fic and have played out many random little ideas that are floating around in mah head.

Warning, this fic is highly unbeta-ed, high grammar-icky, and very AU timeline/wtf?

But yah…anyone catching the new episodes? OMG! "The City of Walls and Secrets" was soooooo creepy! Poor jet! And wtf? Everyone's suddenly in love with Sokka! I mean, I can see why, but still! Suki overload!I mentioned a lot of my ranting in my profile, which you should all check out by the way, lol. hint hint you can often find me ranting about styuff from my latest obsessions in my profile…uhg…which seriously need to shorten. Who reads all that junk anyway? I mean, who cares about the pairings I like from every oddball manga or anime I've seen and read. der…I should just put the stuff I'm currently in, huh? yah …no shit Sherlock.

Ok…nuff said. Thanks for reading folks! You're my favorite ppl on this website! Seriously!

Sexy pancake


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